Digimon Hunters: Reunited
by Torhu
Summary: Five years after their final battle, the Digithrope Hunters must reunite in order to face an oncoming threat to our world. Will the Hunters be able to withstand the force of the Armada? (Multiple Narrators)
1. Katia Romanov

Chapter 1:--------------------------------------------------------Katia Romanov  
  
The prey was nearby; I could smell it. I had been tracking the heard for a few days now. There was a stray one. It had to be one of the older members. He wouldn't taste the best, bet I didn't want to bother with one of the fresher youths. The heard would leave it behind; they'd fight to save a stronger member.  
  
"Okay Katia. Focus. You've been doing this for four years now. It'll be nothing."  
  
I was a daunting site. The moonlight shimmered down on me through the clouds. To anything without an untrained eye, I was invisible. Well, just as invisible as a 10ft wolf could be. I had to hurry though. Day was approaching, and I would have to kill soon if I was going to feed before sun-up.  
  
"I'm so sorry Mom, Dad. I tried to come back. You don't deserve this though. Nobody deserves to have a werewolf for a daughter."  
  
I had been bitten at age 10. The night had been dark, I had wondered from the campsite. Mom and dad had been looking for me, but they didn't come in time. A large silver wolf had bitten me. It didn't look like any wolf I knew at the time, but I was the only one who had seen it. They found me shortly afterwards, and a hospital visit had helped fixed most of it. I still had the large scar across my leg where the wolf had gotten me.  
  
"'Everything is alright. We'll fix you up no problem.' they said. Yeah, that helped me a lot."  
  
A month later was the first full moon. That first time I became a wolf I knew I had to leave my family behind. I lost site of them after that, and for 10 years I lived in the wild alone. Then I met Jack Beckett. I became a Hunter, and my D-Cell gave me the power to control the transformations as well as take the form of stronger Digimon. After the battle with Demon though, my D-Cell shut off. I was no longer able to become anything higher than champion, and I also couldn't control my lycanthropic nature. I had fled to Africa. There was enough open space there to stay out of site of anybody who would be a problem. Now I was a monster. I hunted for a living, feeding at night to avoid the taste of raw meat on a human tongue. I didn't want to be found, nor did I want to find anybody.  
  
"Alright. Now it's time for the kill."  
  
I charged into the herd as quietly as I could. The herd moved, but the elder was stuck. He was brought down without much effort. I ate the kill quickly, disgusted at my own ways. Having eaten, I curled up next to the carcass. I wasn't going to sleep, but I wasn't going to leave it there for others to find. As the wind blew, a scent brushed across my snout.  
  
"It can't be! That smells like a Digimon!"  
  
The hairs on my back instinctively bristled up. I barred my teeth and let out a low growl. Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly. Nothing that smelled like that was.  
  
"Alright. Show yourself!"  
  
The scent grew nearer. Without warning, I was struck from the side. I reeled, rolling across the ground in agony. I turned in the direction of the blow, but another struck from the back. How many were there!  
  
"Moonlight Blaze!"  
  
My attack rippled across the savannah. It didn't hit anything, but the light grazed across something, giving it shape. It was camouflaged by something. I took another whiff, there was only one, but it must have been fast.  
  
"Fight like a mon! What kind of weakling cloaks himself?"  
  
The attacks stopped. A slight breeze blew around me, and as it died down, the creature had revealed itself. I regretted my request immediately. It was a good fifteen feet tall with four arms and four legs. Its tail curled out from its rear end, and tipped off with a large blade. The head was two eyed, with large horns. This was no Digimon I'd seen before. I had no idea how strong it was. Its mouth parted in an evil smile. It didn't say a word.  
  
"You're big. I've taken bigger. You're strong. I've taken stronger. Let's dance."  
  
The creature came at me, swinging its tail blade at a frantic pace. I dove forward, clawing for the face. I missed the target, but made contact with the shoulder. The creature roared and swung its blade as I passed. It made contact with my hindquarters, once again taking me to the ground. I got up quickly and fired a Moonlight Blaze. It hit square, pushing the monster back. I wasn't hurting as much as I could if it were a champion, which meant it was an ultimate level. A mega would have no problem against me at all.  
  
"What's your name, monster? Who sent you?"  
  
The Digimon didn't say a word. It only lowered its horned head and charged forward. I tried to dodge the attack, but the pain from my cut had me paralyzed. The monster's attack hit square. If it hadn't been for the large tree nearby, I don't think I would've ever hit the ground. I could feel my energy being drained from my body as the monster drew closer. A look to the sky only increased my fear. The moon was slowly fading in the night sky, giving way to the rising sun. If I couldn't beat him quick, I would lose my Lupumon form. I couldn't fight anything like that as a human. I cried out in agony, my howl slowly melting into a human scream as my body shrank. The thick wolf hair gave way to skin, leaving a lone woman lying in the grasses. The beast snarled, but just stood there. Why wasn't it attacking?  
  
"What are you doing? Stop toying with me!"  
  
I looked at my wrist. My D-Cell stared back with a blank screen.  
  
"Work, damn it, Work! I need to Digiform now!"  
  
The beast moved to stand over me. It opened its mouth, revealing three rows of razor sharp teeth. The gaping maw hung over me, prepared to swallow me whole. I closed my eyes, ready for the finishing blow. When nothing came, I opened my eyes to see the monster crouching in the grass. It appeared to be bowing at something. The tall grasses bent at odd angles, giving the illusion of something approaching. As I lay on the ground, a human shaped Digimon appeared before me.  
  
"Hello, Katia."  
  
He appeared friendly, approaching with an outstretched hand. He floated along the ground, being propelled by two small wings on his back. He wore what looked like a top hat and jacket, giving him a very formal appearance. He smiled happily, and his eyes were very soft. I couldn't help looking into them.  
  
"You don't want to hurt anymore do you Katia? I can tell. My friend Brutamon here showed me that. I can call him off if you want."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am a friend. Call me, Icarimon. I know what you want, Katia. You had to leave your family behind; you had to become a beast just to stay alive. All because of that thing on your wrist."  
  
I looked at the dead D-Cell. Part of me wanted it to turn on. I didn't like Icarimon…I didn't trust…  
  
"Look at my, Katia. Look into my eyes. You can see I don't want to hurt you."  
  
His voice was so calm, so caring. How could he possibly want to hurt me?  
  
"Do you want me to help you, Katia? Do you want me to make it better? I can give you control of your life again. But you have to want it."  
  
Part of me wanted to pull away, wanted to run from Icarimon. But he was offering to give me my life back. I couldn't pull myself away from his eyes. They seemed to draw me in deeper each time I looked into them. Slowly my mind began to slide away from me.  
  
"Yes Icarimon. I want my life back."  
  
I didn't want to do it, but I wasn't in control of myself. As if detached from my own body, I viewed myself in the third person. I screamed to make myself stop, but I couldn't. I watched in horror as my body reached out and took his hand.  
  
"I want my life back." 


	2. Jack Beckett

Chapter 2:------------------------------------------------------------Jack Beckett  
  
I woke up in a cold sweat. The dream had been so real. I could still see Billie, looking helpless as Beelzemon flung her away. The anger coming from each Hunter had fed my D-Cell way too much power. Katia screaming for me to do something, Dr. Schneider doing everything he could to prevent his anger from over taking him. I hadn't been so lucky. With the rage coming from the others and myself I had been able to Bio-Warp to Warmonger for the first time. And even though I had been able to stop Beelzemon then, I was still unable to bring Billie Cannon back. She had paid the ultimate price. She was the youngest of us at the time, being only 16 in a group of 20-30 year olds. And it had been my best friend, Damien Fox, who had done it.  
  
"Relax, Beckett. It's only a dream now. You did what you could."  
  
The dream had been reoccurring ever since we had faced of against Demon for the final time. Few people witnessed it, and those who did had a fading recollection of it. I gazed over to the calendar on the wall. What I saw shocked me.  
  
"It's been 5 years already!"  
  
Five years…and I still had the D-Cell. It hadn't worked since the fight, yet I still kept it with me. Some part of my subconscious told me I may still need it someday. I silently wondered if the other Hunters had kept theirs as well. Damien vanished immediately after the fight, Katia and I had slowly grown apart, and Dr. Schneider left to continue his research on the Digithropes in a secretive location.  
  
Digithropes… hadn't used that word in a long time. There were five off us that we knew of, people with the ability to become Digimon. It had originally been Katia, Billie, Doc, and me fighting outbreaks of wild ones attempting to bring the Digi-World and our world together. After we wiped out Infermon, the original cause of the infestation, we were lead into a battle against Beelzemon, and agent of the real evil. He had killed Billie, but before she died she had used her power to give him back the ability to Bio-Warp, and with that he began to battle alongside us. So as it had been before, four Digithropes teamed up, and together we overthrew Demon.  
  
"What time is it? Should I even bother going to sleep?"  
  
I looked at the clock. It was five in the morning and time to get going. I rolled out of bed and climbed into the shower. Just because I wasn't fighting evil anymore didn't mean I was out of work. Shortly after the ordeal I took a small office job for an accounting firm. My fame wouldn't spread to the area, protecting my reputation. One wouldn't normally leave for work at such an early time, but with my recent rash of nightmares, I had decided it would be best to work the early shift seeing as how I would be up at that time anyway.  
  
"Can't believe I can still sleep after all the crap I've gone through. I wonder if the others have these kinds of dreams too. You're a real mess, Jack."  
  
As I gathered my gear and prepared to leave, I suddenly remembered something. Quickly I walked over to my bedside table and unlocked the small drawer. Inside was the D-Cell. I couldn't leave it unguarded, not ever. I slid it on my wrist and left for work. The recent rash of cold weather was wrecking havoc on my car; hopefully it would start today. Turning the key, I was relieved to hear the engine come to life.  
  
"Well Jack, it's another long day. Let's roll."  
  
"Beckett. We need you to bring up those files from the Johnson account from '99. Can you get those ready and have them on my desk by three?"  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem, Mr. Robins. Let me just finish up these last few loan applications."  
  
I shuffled the papers on my desk. I know they had been there earlier, but now they were nowhere in site. Giving up on finding a carbon copy, I booted up my computer and went to the files.  
  
"Thank god. I'm not going crazy. They're right th… what the?"  
  
My work was interrupted when my email program automatically opened. Looking at the now white screen, I was able to recognize a faint red glow reflecting on the screen. My D-Cell had turned on again. Was it the email? I checked, no new messages had come through, but something was on the screen of the D-Cell. I peeked my head out of the cubicle and glanced around. Nobody would notice if I made a quick trip to the bathroom.  
  
I left my cubicle and dashed into the bathroom. Locking the door to the stall, I pressed the small message button on the D-Cell. A faint green light rose out and projected itself onto the wall.  
  
"It's a map. Why does that location look so familiar?"  
  
I pulled off a piece off toilet paper and jotted down the map. I would have to get out of work without much fuss. I left the bathroom and went straight for Mr. Robins' office.  
  
It hadn't taken much convincing. I told Robins some story about a disagreeable lunch, and combined with the trip to the bathroom he readily believed me. So now I was on the road, heading to a destination that as I approached became more and more familiar. As I turned the last corner, it suddenly came to me.  
  
"Brookside Universtiy!"  
  
Ahead of me sat the campus I had gone to that faithful year. Schneider was one of the leading professors there, we had met in one of those weird circumstances. As I recalled the campus, the map began to make sense. I was being lead to the Science Labs. I opened the doors to the lab. It was quiet. Being late Friday, many of the students and teachers had already left. Was I late?  
  
"Dr. Schneider? You around? It's me, Jack Beckett!"  
  
A voice from the back of the lab called out.  
  
"Beckett. Stay quiet and come this way."  
  
It was a woman. Suspiciously I approached. As I drew closer, the woman came into view. She was about my age, brunette with green eyes. She had on a lab coat, which hopefully meant she worked here. She had a small device in her hand. I recognized it as soon as she showed it to me. It was a Bio-Scanner. It was one the few things that could identify if a Digithrope were who they said they were.  
  
"I don't like the looks of this. You working for Schneider?"  
  
"Yes. He'll explain everything. Quickly now."  
  
The woman led me through a hallway that ended in a fork. Instead of turning left or right, she walked straight. The wall slid open, and the two of us entered a dark room with a small flight of stairs.  
  
"Dr. Schneider has found it necessary to be much more quiet about his research than the previous time he studied here. You and I are now the only people who know about it besides him."  
  
At the bottom of the stairs was another door. The woman opened it, revealing a massive lab with numerous computers and scanners. It reminded me of Schneider's old lab. The doc himself was sitting at the end of lab, hunched over a massive console. Upon hearing me enter, he turned. A large smile ran across his face.  
  
"Jack Beckett! Long time no see!"  
  
We hugged each other, shook hands, and took a seat by the console.  
  
"Beckett. What have you been up to?"  
  
"Well I got a job. I'm…uh…still single," I shot a look over to the assistant. "If it matters."  
  
She returned with a glance that could curdle milk. I quickly turned back to Schneider.  
  
"That's Jeanine Ross. I hired her two years ago. She's been helping me in my research."  
  
"Is she a…"  
  
"Digithrope? No. I assure you that was the first thing I checked out."  
  
"Dr. Schneider was very persistent that I take those tests. They were the first things he did during the interview. I must say this whole Digithrope gene is very exciting. We have been making huge steps in determining how it is passed through the populace."  
  
Throughout the interview I noticed Doc repeatedly glancing over at something. A quick peak at his wrist revealed he was minus a D-Cell.  
  
"Doc. Do you still have your D-Cell?"  
  
"Why yes I do. Sorry if it surprised you that I wasn't wearing it. Dang thing hasn't worked since…well you know."  
  
"Yeah. Mine has been turned off. When I got your message, it was the first time it had done anything in 5 years."  
  
"What do you mean? Mine has been glowing, beeping, doing all sorts of weird stuff. I just can't Digiform."  
  
Doc rose from his seat and led Jeanine and I to a small set next to the console. Doc's D-Cell was plugged to a data port. Information could be seen running across the screen of the D-Cell.  
  
"I've been trying to determine what makes it activate. Its odd that yours hasn't been working at all, while mines been feeding very interesting Digimon data to me for years."  
  
Something wasn't right. Doc and I hadn't been in contact since the battle with Demon. Why would Doc just up and call me out of the blue.  
  
"Doc. What's up? Something tells me there's more to this than you're letting on."  
  
The Doc's smile slowly faded. He pulled up an extra seat in front of the monitor. I sat next to Doc while Jeanine stood over us.  
  
"Ever since the fight with Demon, the portals to the Digi-World were supposedly closed. Well most of them were, but a large one was missed. After about a year of being open, something came through. I didn't know until now that it was free, which has made it extremely difficult to track. It's a Digimon though. What kind and how strong I don't know."  
  
"C'mon Doc. We've taken Digimon out like it was nothing. Sure Demon gave us some trouble, but there can't be anything that tough right?"  
  
"I don't know, Jack. This one I've been tracking has been giving off some strange energy waves. That's not all. I've been keeping tabs on the area. There are many weaker Digimon around. I don't know why I haven't seen them, but they are out there. This thing, whatever it is, it's building an army."  
  
Something was out there? I couldn't believe it. I thought I had ended my Digithrope career after Demon, but it looked like I was getting sucked back into it once again.  
  
"So when are the others getting here?"  
  
"That's the problem. I've been trying to track them down, but no luck. As hard as I've looked, I can't track down Katia or Damien. And they would be helpful to us assuming they still have their D-Cells."  
  
"I know both of them, neither would leave that behind. You and I didn't, why would they."  
  
"Okay. That would be four, but that still leaves one unaccounted for…"  
  
Before he could finish his thought, a tremendous blast from above shook the lab. The lights began to fade; Jeanine and Doc ran for cover. Alarms and pings went off from all walls of the chamber.  
  
"Doc, what is it!"  
  
"Whatever got loose, I think its here!" 


	3. Jeanine Ross

Chapter 3:----------------------------------------------------------- Jeanine Ross  
  
Dr. Schneider and I had worked together for quite some time now. I trusted him when he made decisions, but right now I was a little concerned. I personally never witnessed a Digimon battle. I only had the stories the doctor had told, videos he had recorded, and the few pictures he had taken. Now I faced a threat to my life, and only Schneider and Jack stood between imminent danger and me. Jack pulled me down while the doctor ran for his D- Cell. He violently pulled it out of the port, taking the portable Analyzer with him.  
  
"C'mon, Beckett. Time to leave!"  
  
Activating the emergency exit, the three of us bailed out of the port at the back of the lab. As the door sealed behind us I could see the ceiling slowly crumble and give way. The exit opened to a disturbing site. A pair of Digimon had appeared near the campus. Students fled in terror from the attacking animals. Droms exploded all around. It was impossible to determine if everybody was getting to safety.  
  
"Doctor. What do we do?"  
  
"I don't know, Jeanine." He strapped on his D-Cell. "Beckett?"  
  
"We have to try and fight."  
  
Both of them looked down at their D-Cells. Neither appeared to be active.  
  
"C'mon you piece of junk, work!"  
  
The two moved closed. They approached quickly on their four legs. There four arms flung wildly at us. The doctor looked extremely angry. Jack seemed eerily calm.  
  
"Doc, if we can't get these thing working we're screwed. You researched them, why were they shut down in the first place?"  
  
"I don't know! The surge from Demon may have overloaded them…or maybe the blasts we used on him did something!"  
  
"So they just need some juice? That's it!"  
  
I ran for Dr. Schneider, quickly seizing the Analyzer.  
  
"Jeanine, what are you doing?"  
  
"Getting these things started up again."  
  
I pried the back off of the Analyzer and pulled out a group of wires from power input. Undoing them as fast I could, I shoved the cable in the data input of each D-Cell. The Digimon was approaching rapidly. If this didn't work…nothing would.  
  
"Come on! Take me!"  
  
I grabbed the Analyzer and marched straight toward the lead beast. It looked at me, raised a hand, and prepared to fire.  
  
"Jeanine! Get outta there!"  
  
"Sorry, Doctor. Just get ready to activate the D-Cell."  
  
I could feel the heat from the energy attack building around the monster.  
  
"Hit me with everything you have!"  
  
The monster fired. Just as the blast washed over me, I jammed a hairpin into the power port, and booted up the Analyzer. I could feel the power surging across me, shocking me to the bone. My body went limp and crumpled to the ground. I could still feel the energy from both ends rippling within me. Then there was just black. 


	4. Dr. Schneider

Chapter 4:----------------------------------------------------------Dr. Schneider  
  
"Jeanine!"  
  
I couldn't believe what had just happened. My closest friend for the last five years…she had just…it couldn't be!  
  
"Jeanine! Can you hear me!?"  
  
Beckett stood next to me, just as shocked. I could still see the electricity moving across her lifeless body. What had she done?  
  
"Doc. What's going on? Why did she do that?"  
  
"I don't know, Beckett. I don't kn…what's that?"  
  
The Analyzer had sprung to life. The screen, which had landing facing us, was now raging with information. As the cords leading to our D-Cells begin to light up, both of us heard a low voice.  
  
"Bioform Digivolution."  
  
The voice rang in my ear, followed quickly by a new feeling of power. It was all coming back to me now. Had Beckett heard it, I didn't know. All I knew was that my D-Cell was back on line. It was a split second after the voice, but the power up seemed to last forever.  
  
"Schneider, Bioform to…"  
  
It was all so familiar. The swords appeared in my hands; the armor formed around my head and chest. I remember being told I was slightly reptilian in appearance, with short spiky orange hair coming out from under my helm. I didn't know how I knew, but the transformation was complete. Five years in waiting, and yet I still remembered what I was.  
  
"Yasyamon!"  
  
I didn't know if Beckett had also been able to Bioform, but that wasn't important. Jeanine was hurt and needed help. Yasyamon was just the guy to do it.  
  
"Double Strike!"  
  
I brought both blades down on the lead monster. It roared as they cut into its shoulder. Putting everything I could into each stroke, I sliced the beast time and time again. The second snuck up behind me.  
  
"Giga Bomb!"  
  
The attack struck me hard in the back, sending me to the ground next to Jeanine. Looking right at her, I could tell she was still breathing.  
  
"Beckett! You need to get her out of here!"  
  
A quick glance showed that Jack had been unable to Bioform. He looked at his D-Cell, cursing its malfunction. Beckett knew what he had to do though. With a burst of speed he ran towards the two of us. The second beast, the one that had surprised me, turned its attention to Jack. The monster raised a hand, and readied to fire.  
  
"I hope you know what's going on," spoken this time to his D-Cell. "Cause if I get blasted, I'm gonna be pissed!"  
  
His eyes rose to see Jeanine's body. A determined look on his face, he lowered his head and charged. As his battle cry rose up over the roaring the beasts energy charging, I heard that same voice again…  
  
"Bioform Digivolution."  
  
The green light from Beckett's D-Cell surrounded him. His voice, now more determined, came from inside.  
  
"Beckett, Bioform to…"  
  
The light formed a new figure. This one was much more bulky than I was, and about a head taller as well. In each hand was a large blaster rifle; Beckett called them his "babies." The body was covered in thick green body armor from head to toe, and Beckett's now infamous sunglasses had formed an opaque visor over his eyes. The helmet covered his head; nothing was left unguarded. The Digimon was ready to fight.  
  
"Battalimon!"  
  
Beckett's champion form had finally entered the fray. It was obvious from the way he moved that he had been surprised by the old feeling of becoming a Digimon. He lunged forward, guns ready.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
He hit the second beast hard with a swift shoulder to the gut. The monster grabbed its chest and roared. I saw the opening and moved in with my blades.  
  
"Battalimon. Tandem offense!"  
  
"You got it, Yasyamon!"  
  
I pulled back my two swords while Beckett aimed his guns; both of us aiming for the beast's heart.  
  
"Double Strike!"  
  
"Panzer Barrage!"  
  
The two attacks hit in unison. The beast let out a final whelp as its data was scattered across the ground. Remembering the old days, both Battalimon and I placed our hands on the soil, absorbing the data into our bodies. A new strength entered me. I turned to the remaining monster.  
  
"Battalimon. Take Jeanine and get out of here!"  
  
"You sure you can take this guy?"  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem. I've weakened him significantly, and with the data from the other I should have a boost enough. You just go find the others. With our D-Cells on-line we should be able to track them down. I'll catch up with you."  
  
Battalimon holstered his guns and picked up Jeanine. Two jet boosters lifted up from his back and lit up. With Jeanine in his arms he took off into the sky.  
  
"Alright, buddy. It's just you and me now."  
  
The monster was holding its damaged shoulder. A look of utter disgust crossed its face. It spat on the ground and kicked the dirt in my face.  
  
"You are impure! Our master will see to it the impurities are wiped off the planet! If I die, it is only to serve him."  
  
The monster began to pick up speed as he readied to strike me, but with his damaged arm his body was off balance. With a swift move I dodge to his side and brought the flat side of my blade across the back of his head. Without a word, the Digimon collapsed into a heap. It rolled its head and looked me in the eyes. I had two swords aimed at his throat.  
  
"Talk, creature. Who are you working for?"  
  
"The Master. I work only for the Master."  
  
"Don't give me that 'master' crap! What's his name! Who came through that portal!"  
  
"I cannot defy the Master! I would die first!"  
  
I drew my blade nearer to his throat. It brushed his skin. The monster didn't flinch.  
  
"You know I won't do that. Not till you tell me what I need."  
  
"Never!"  
  
What happened next was too quick for even me to prevent. All I can remember is the Digimon grabbing the swords and pulling them into his neck. I yelled in denial as the monster broke apart right in front of me.  
  
"No! How could you?"  
  
I reluctantly loaded his data. The boost of energy didn't cheer me up in the face of what had just happened. During the fighting I had failed to notice the group of students that had gathered around the fight. Hopefully none had seen the transformations. Activating the D-Cell, which had bonded with me during the Bioform, I quickly scanned for any signal that could be Battalimon or one of the other Hunters. I could only detect one signal, and decided that it must be Battalimon. Without a thought I took off in the direction of the signal. 


	5. Katia Romanov

Chapter 5:--------------------------------------------------------Katia Romanov  
  
Part of me regretted taking Icarimon's hand, but it was too late now. He had taken me somewhere strange, but we had moved to fast to know where. I could only remember a strange light and a large kick as we traveled through some kind of portal.  
  
"Where are we, Icarimon?"  
  
"We are in my world now."  
  
I was shocked. Could it be? Had we entered the Digi-World? None of the Hunters had entered the Digi-World as far as I knew. Needless to say I was terrorized. All around me was darkness and fire. The sky was red, with black smog clouds forming in every direction. Below me, monstrous Digimon were battling it out amongst each other. I recognized the Brutamon, along with a few others I had faced, but they all looked more pissed then anything before.  
  
"Is this the Digi-World, Icarimon? Have you brought me to the Digi- World?"  
  
He turned to me and smiled. Upon passing through the rift, we had been encased in a clear bubble. The two of us now were alone floating over the plains. He laughed to himself before speaking.  
  
"Oh, Katia. Naïve little girl…" he looked back out at the world before us. "Of course. Where else would it be? This is my home, my land. And you are going to help me save it."  
  
The bubble began to lower itself into the mass of Digimon. They spread themselves out as Icarimon and I landed. The bubble faded away, leaving me alone with an armada of potentially harmful Digimon. My inner voice was screaming for me to run if I could, but my legs refused to move.  
  
"You want to leave? Didn't you come to me to get your life back? It's why you took my hand is it not?"  
  
Our eyes met, and again I was pulled in. There was a peculiar charm about him I couldn't resist. I nodded in response to his question.  
  
"Yes. I want my life back. But how can I help you?"  
  
He waved his hands, gesturing me to look out on the world. The fire was all over, covering the land as far as I could see. The Digimon around us all appeared to be in pain, a profound sadness flowed throughout the group.  
  
"What do you see? Death, pain, suffering… Do we deserve this? Why do you think the Digimon you destroyed before fought so hard to enter your world? It's a beautiful world. Peace, happiness, light…everything we could want. I understand that you needed to defend your world, but what about mine?"  
  
That possessed part of my brain again began to agree with him. He was right, we had been so unfair to Digimon before. If we had known this we would have helped them through. Icarimon moved to my arm, he was clutching my arm lightly.  
  
"Look at that thing around your arm. What grief has it caused you? It gave you your humanity back, only to shut down and force you to isolate yourself from your family and friends. When I found you, I saw a beast feeding upon a fresh kill. Is that what you want? I can make you human again. I can give you control."  
  
It couldn't be that easy. What did he want from me? I knew this was wrong, but I couldn't fight it.  
  
"I want to…I want to…"  
  
"Yes, Katia. What do you want?"  
  
I tried to struggle against the affirmation I was about to speak. I had to resist what I knew was going to happen. I though of Jack, Billie, Doc, Damien…well not as much Damien…and all they had done. I thought of my family, how I was so relieved to be able to return to them. Then it hit me; I didn't want this. Something was wrong, and I wasn't going to follow along with it. I would find my own way.  
  
"Icarimon…I can't. I have family; I have friends. I made a promise to them that I would protect my world. Take me back."  
  
Icarimon stopped speaking towards his partners and faced me. His expression had changed. His eyes had become a dark red. His face twisted in a cruel grin.  
  
"Part of me knew you'd say that. I figured that no way a Hunter would believe me, you humans are so difficult to manipulate, do you know that?"  
  
I began to back away. Why wouldn't my D-Cell activate? A good Bio- Warp would be great at a time like this. Icarimon began to move quicker, his hands out at his sides. Suddenly my back ran up against the side of something. He had reformed the bubble.  
  
"I tried to be nice about it, Katia. I really did. But since you were so difficult, I guess I'll have to go to more 'persuasive' methods."  
  
My eyes were locked on him. What was going on? What had I gotten myself into? Katia you idiot! You're going to get yourself killed! My eyes fell to the ground, and I realized what he had hidden from me this whole time. The light from the sky fell upon him, casting a shadow across the floor. Only this shadow wasn't the pleasant well-dressed man that Icarimon was, but rather a winged beast. I couldn't tell anymore.  
  
"Well Katia. It looks like you've forced me to switch to Plan B. I was so hoping I didn't have to do this."  
  
Before I could react, his hand shot up. As I went under, I could feel his sharp claws taking hold around my face. 


	6. Jeanine Ross

Chapter 6:----------------------------------------------------------- Jeanine Ross  
  
"Jeanine…"  
  
The voice spoke to me as if in a dream. I wanted to awaken, but I couldn't get my eyes to open. I didn't see anything…or anybody…but I was certain the voice was someone I knew.  
  
"Jeanine…"  
  
It was female. It was too faint to guess at an age. I tried to speak to her, but without any idea of how she was communicating with me I was stuck. The voice grew fainter, drifiting away into the blackness. Slowly it came back, male this time.  
  
"Jeanine? Are you okay?"  
  
The voice seemed slightly metallic. My eyes fluttered open, leaving me looking at a large robot. Needless to say I was confused. I had seen pictures of this somewhere in Dr. Schneider's records, but where? My mind was drawing a blank. I could only pull one name out of my confusion.  
  
"Beckett? Is that you in there?"  
  
It appeared to cock its head. Our eyes met briefly, and I could see through the lights of his eyes and into his body. Beckett was in there.  
  
"Yeah. It's me, Jeanine. Are you okay?"  
  
"Just a bump on the head. And I'm still a little woozy from that shot."  
  
"Well we're safe here. According to my D-Cell, Doc is on his way."  
  
I tried to look directly at Beckett, but the Digimon was so big. He could tell I was nervous, and suddenly the Digimon shattered. The pieces broke into Data, which were all absorbed back into the D-Cell. I was left looking at Beckett in his human form.  
  
"That's amazing! How do you do it?"  
  
He looked at his D-Cell, which was still active. He then stepped over to me and picked up the fried Analyzer.  
  
"You had a lot of guts doing that, Jeanine. You could've been killed."  
  
"I knew that too. I didn't want to, but part of me just said it would work. I guess when the Analyzer did the trick though. It focused the Digimon's attack and fed it into your D-Cells."  
  
"Yeah. The rush of energy did the trick. My D-Cell went nuts when it hit us."  
  
I wanted to tell him about the voice just then, but I didn't know for sure. It could've been all in my head. I had gone through a lot recently, and it could just be stress.  
  
"What does it feel like? Becoming a Digimon…is it like a new body, or armor?"  
  
"Actually no. You see that's what I thought, too. But we are actually the Digimon you see. And as for the feeling, well it hurts at first. That's only because you don't know what's going on. The first time I Bioformed it hurt like you couldn't imagine."  
  
Looking at Beckett, I couldn't help but feel jealous. All that power, and I could only sit back and watch helplessly from the sidelines. I would have to find a way to help them.  
  
"Ahoy there!"  
  
Beckett and I looked to the sky, catching a glimpse of a reptilian ninja coming towards us. It landed, and broke apart like Beckett's Bioform had.  
  
"Dr. Schneider! You're okay!"  
  
I ran up and hugged him, causing him to laugh.  
  
"I told you I could take care of myself. Beckett, we need to talk."  
  
The doctor's mood changed drastically. His smile faded, and as he approached, so did Beckett's.  
  
"What did you find out, Doc?"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"Not much. I had him right where I wanted him, but he took himself out. He was too fast; I couldn't stop him! One thing I know though, he's not working on his own. He kept talking about his 'Master' that he served. He'd rather destroy himself than turn against his leader."  
  
"So what are we dealing with?"  
  
"I don't know, Jeanine. If it's strong enough to put that kind of a fear into an underling, I personally don't want to know. There's one given though. We aren't going to beat this without the others."  
  
Beckett and I met eyes. I could see the concern he felt. From what I had been told, Demon had been almost impossible to beat. For them to feel this kind of fear again made me quite apprehensive.  
  
"Dr. Schneider, there's one problem. If their D-Cells are offline, how can we find them? You said so yourself, they both vanished after the final fight."  
  
"True. I haven't been able to locate either Damien or Katia since the fight. That's why I called you first, Beckett. Do you have any ideas?"  
  
Beckett had already begun to leave the group. He activated his D- Cell, and I was staring at his Bioform again. He noticed my curiosity and bowed.  
  
"Battalimon at your service. Champion level machine warrior." He offered his hand to me. "Want to go for a ride?"  
  
The doctor looked at Battalimon and I. He Bioformed, and introduced his new form as Yasyamon.  
  
"Battalimon. Where are you going?"  
  
"You said we needed to find the others? Well I know exactly where to find one of them. Doc, follow me."  
  
I took Battalimon's hand and the two of us took off into the air. I turned to see Yasyamon following behind us.  
  
"Battalimon, where exactly are we going?"  
  
"It's been 5 years to the day, Jeanine. And if I know him, he'll be right there waiting for us."  
  
As the three of us took to the skies, I couldn't help by think of the voice again. While resting in Battalimon's arms, I heard it once again.  
  
"You're drawing closer, Jeanine. Soon your time will come." 


	7. Damien Fox

Chapter 7:------------------------------------------------------------ Damien Fox  
  
It was a beautiful view over the ocean. Billie had always loved her Californian home, and this site was perfect for her. The breeze off the waters blew past in an effort to calm me, but serenity was something I lacked at this time. I knelt before the gravestone, a tear slowly rolling down my cheek. Five years to the day. Had it been that long? I read the headstone over and over, not wanting to register what was engraved on it.  
  
1 Billie Jean Cannon  
  
2 Jan 5, 1986 – May 20, 2002  
  
May she be in Heaven the angel she was on Earth  
  
It was entirely my fault; in my greed for power I had done this. Why the Hunters had covered for me I'll never know, but the guilt and anger I felt for myself would never leave. I had done something horrible, and I deserved a punishment I wished someday would come.  
  
"Billie. It was I who killed you, yet you gave me your last bit of strength to fight Demon. How can I ever make that up to you?"  
  
I slid my jacket sleeve up my arm, exposing my two D-Cells. One was jet- black, my own. The other was a light pink, Billie's. I remember the scene in the hospital that day. I had heard a voice while resting in my bed. It led me to Billie's bedside, where her last words were spoken.  
  
"I forgive you, Damien."  
  
She died right there in front of me. That's when the weird part happened. Her D-Cell lifted of her wrist and wrapped around mine. It was then that I realized what she had meant. She had given me the chance to redeem myself, and I had tried my best. I used the combined power of our D-Cells to become Beelzemon once more. And with the added power I was able to help defeat Demon once and for all. Shortly after that I left the public eye, and disappeared into obscurity. I was taking a chance by showing up today, but I had made a promise to myself. Every year on the same date I would visit this gravesite. For it had been my own doing that caused it. Could I be found? It was probable if one knew the connection between Billie and I. That is why I half expected what occurred next.  
  
"Damien!"  
  
Out over the waters I saw three shapes growing closer. It was Battalimon and Yasyamon, but who was with them was beyond me. They landed outside the graveyard and returned to human form. The woman with them looked at me with an odd expression. I stood up and approached the three of them. I would have found a better way to greet them, but a handshake just didn't seem right.  
  
"It's been a long time, Beckett."  
  
"Yeah, Fox. It has been. I see your D-Cells are still active as well."  
  
A frown crossed Schneider's face.  
  
"What do you mean, still active?"  
  
"Yours turned off? Mine has been glowing since the battle with Demon. I haven't used it, but it never shut down."  
  
"I don't understand, if your D-Cell has been active this whole time, why couldn't I find you?"  
  
The doc reached out, expecting me to hand over the D-Cell I suppose. I pulled back, and the two of them looked at me in shock.  
  
"What's that around your wrist, Damien? How did you get that?"  
  
They had seen the pink D-Cell. I had never told them that Billie had given it to me at the hospital, and they had never thought to ask what happened to it.  
  
"Talk, Damien!"  
  
I shot a glare at Beckett. What right did he have?  
  
"She gave it to me before she died. It was because of this that I was able to help you all right! Lay off, you owe me!"  
  
Beckett got pissed. He came at me, ready to strike, Doc had to hold him back.  
  
"How dare you say I owe you! You killed Billie! You tried to kill all of us!"  
  
"But I didn't did I! Billie forgave me, why can't you!"  
  
Beckett stood down, but shot me one last one liner.  
  
"Did you forgive yourself?"  
  
Low blow. It reminded me why I hated Beckett. The only reason I helped him was because of the promise I made to Billie.  
  
"Listen up, Beckett. You came to me, which says you need me for something! So if you want my help, I expect you to treat me with a little more respect than that."  
  
Beckett lashed out and grabbed me by the collar, pulling my face within inches of his own.  
  
"You listen up, Damien. You murdered an innocent kid! She didn't want to fight this war, but joined up because it was the right thing to do. Because of your greed she's dead, and I will never forgive you for it! Do you understand me, Fox?"  
  
I stared deep into his eyes. That rage, that pure hatred of me was what gave him his power. It was what made him Warmonger in that battle against me. It's what kept him going. I wasn't afraid of him though; I could take him now.  
  
"Fine, Beckett. Hate me. Someday we're going to need each other's help, then let's see what you have to say."  
  
Doc and the woman pulled the two of us apart. Beckett continued to glare at me.  
  
"Okay, Doc. First off, who's the new girl?"  
  
"This is my assistant Jeanine Ross. I've been working with her on the Digithrope project since the battle with Demon."  
  
"Ah, Jeanine. Pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Same."  
  
I shook her hand. As I touched her palm though, I felt a strange sensation on my wrist. She could feel it too, I could tell. We quickly pulled apart. She returned to Doc's side.  
  
"Something's come through the portal, Damien. It's got help too. Just earlier we fought a duo of centaur Digimon. They were tough, but Beckett and I managed to take them out. They're loyal to it, whatever it is."  
  
I looked at my D-Cell. The small energy reading had been going off for the last few days.  
  
"Well my D-Cell's been reading something lately. I thought it was maybe one of you looking for me. But you said our D-Cell's weren't detecting each other."  
  
Doc nodded. He pulled out a few chunks of metal, what looked like the remains of the Analyzer.  
  
"What happened there?"  
  
"The circuits were fried when we channeled energy into the D-Cells. It worked as you can see though. I still don't understand why we couldn't detect each other though."  
  
Beckett spoke for the first time since our little chat.  
  
"Doc, you said that this thing was strong right? Well what if it's what's causing the blackout. Damien, exactly how long have you been detecting that signal?"  
  
"Well when I arrived in town a few days ago. It's been getting stronger though, and right now it's at its peak."  
  
Doc looked out over the ocean. Jeanine joined him. They said something to each other, and then turned to Beckett and I.  
  
"You said it's getting stronger?"  
  
"Yeah. And?"  
  
"Is it getting stronger now?"  
  
I looked down. Sure enough, it was increasing.  
  
"Doc. The signal is getting stronger."  
  
Doc grabbed Jeanine and ran toward the two of us. Just as we were together, a massive creature burst through the water's surface. Jeanine screamed in terror. Beckett and Doc get defensive, and I readied to battle.  
  
"Doc. What is it?"  
  
"I don't know, the Analyzer's busted. I haven't seen this one yet!"  
  
Suddenly, Jeanine let out a yell and dropped to her knees. I ran to help her up, but she couldn't climb to her feet. She just kept yelling and holding her head.  
  
"Make it stop! There's a voice in my head! Get it out!"  
  
As the beast drew closer, Beckett, Doc, and I pulled out our D-Cells. Just as quickly as it had started though, Jeanine's yelling stopped. She was now staring out at the water, directly at the Digimon.  
  
"Jeanine. Are you okay? Jeanine?"  
  
There was no answer. Her eyes were blank. The Digimon moved closer. I tried to move Jeanine, but something was keeping me from getting to her. The pain in my wrist returned.  
  
"Jeanine! What's going on?" 


	8. Jeanine Ross

Chapter 8:----------------------------------------------------------- Jeanine Ross  
  
I could hear their voices, but I wasn't able to respond. Part of my brain was out of my control. I felt my body lift up, and began to walk toward the coast. The others were yelling for me to come back, but I couldn't make myself move away from the Digimon. Suddenly, a voice came out that wasn't my own.  
  
"It's Pleciomon, a mega-level sea Digimon. They usually travel in herds, but this one is alone. His powers are over the water, and as long as he's in the water his powers are much higher."  
  
The three surrounded me. Beckett was in shock. Was that voice familiar to them? I tried to call out to them, tried to scream for help, but I was out of control. The strange sensation I had felt when I shook Damien's hand returned. This time though it had spread throughout my entire body.  
  
"Don't worry, Jeanine. I mean you no harm."  
  
How did I know all this about Digimon? I had never seen this one either, but now it felt as though I'd seen millions of them. Who was the voice in my head, what had taken control?  
  
"I am a friend."  
  
I saw Beckett and Doc Bioform, and the two champions went after Pleciomon. I knew they wouldn't be enough to fight him. My body turned to face Damien. He was looking into my eyes. He recognized the voice; I knew it.  
  
"Damien, you have to help them."  
  
"But how? I haven't been able to Bio-Warp in five years!"  
  
"You have to try!"  
  
How did the voice know all this? Where was the voice coming from? It appeared to be giving Damien confidence, but how did could it? I hated this detachment I felt from my own body. I had to regain control.  
  
"Please do not struggle, Jeanine. I need your help. You must help me!"  
  
The monster was getting closer. It ignored the attacks from Battalimon and Yasyamon and charged straight for Damien and me.  
  
"Damien. You have to fight it!"  
  
Damien nodded and faced the battle. He pulled back his sleeve and prepared to act. Before anything happened, a new Digimon came from behind and grabbed his arm. Damien cried out as it ripped the pink D-Cell from around his wrist and took off toward Pleciomon.  
  
"No! Battalimon! Stop that Harpymon!"  
  
The flying Digimon was heading past the serpent Digimon. It was using the mega for a screen. My body called out to the two champions.  
  
"Doc! That Harpymon has my D-Cell!"  
  
I couldn't believe what I had said. The voice, which before was foreign, was now completely recognizable. Somehow, Billie Cannon was inside me.  
  
Why though? Why did Billie possess me?  
  
"I need your help, Jeanine. I need you to help the others."  
  
Damien now could not stand it anymore. He yelled out a roar as he ran head on into the waves. As he struggled against the waters to reach Pleciomon, Billie spoke from inside me once more.  
  
"Damien! Let me help you!"  
  
I raised my hand, and suddenly a strange light burst forth, surrounding Damien. From inside the light, the mechanical voice from back in the university spoke again.  
  
"Bioform Digivolution."  
  
The light I had created entered Damien, and he transformed right in front of me.  
  
"Damien, Bioform to…"  
  
Two black wings burst from his back. Damien cried out as his arms began to stretch past his knees. His body grew in size, and his cloths began to shift into a block skin. When the light faded, a tall black human with two horns had replaced Damien. While I didn't know the Digimon, the person inside me knew this was new for even Damien. He had Bioformed to his champion level for the first time, and it was… 


	9. Damien Fox

Chapter 9:------------------------------------------------------------ Damien Fox  
  
The sheer power nearly made me sick. It had been almost five years without Bioforming, and when I finally had, it wasn't to whom I thought it would be. I could feel my arms extending, the claws sharpening as the process continued, but where was the Slayer? Where was the jacket, the wings? I wasn't becoming Beelzemon, not this time. And while the power I was gaining was more than I had before, I wasn't going mega. My body stopped changing, I opened my eyes and looked at what I had become.  
  
"Devimon!"  
  
Battalimon and Yasyamon stopped dead in their tracks. I could feel their eyes staring at me. I couldn't help but be just as surprised as they were.  
  
Fine, I'm Devimon. No big. I can still do this!  
  
I spread my wings and launched myself at Pleciomon. Mega or not, I was going to take him down. The other two champions saw what I was doing, and joined against Pleciomon. I readied to attack, not knowing what I would produce. My instincts kicked in, telling me to pull back my hand. Doing so, I could feel the energy begin to build up.  
  
Well, let's see what you've got, Devimon. Attack!  
  
Throwing my entire body into the strike, I let loose on Pleciomon.  
  
"Darkness Claw!"  
  
The attack hit square across the face of the mega. It managed to slice a cut across the forehead, succeeding only in peeving it off even more. I was champion…a measly champion. Battalimon and Yasyamon both struck simultaneously.  
  
"Panzer Barrage!"  
  
"Double Strike!"  
  
The attacks bounced off harmlessly. The mega was too strong for us. Champions had never been able to take a mega, never.  
  
"Billie! Why did you allow me to Bioform again it I couldn't fight! What's the joke you're playing?"  
  
My attention turned to Harpymon, who was rapidly escaping with the pink D-Cell. Now this gal I could take.  
  
"Harpymon! Come back here!"  
  
I flapped my wings and took off again. Harpymon was slow, and I was well experienced with wings. I caught up easily.  
  
"You'd better give that back!"  
  
"Never. The Master won't allow it!"  
  
Harpymon lashed at me with her empty claw. It hurt badly, but I had to ignore it. With a swing of my claw I managed to catch her the face, causing her to plummet toward the water. Harpymon turned it into a dive, and must have been planning to dive in. Folding my wings I followed suit.  
  
"You can't get away that easy; Darkness Claw!"  
  
The attack drove forward, speeding toward its target. I didn't know if I could catch Harpymon, but hopefully the attack would. Just as it would hit, Harpymon dodged. The attack hit the water, causing a massive wave to shoot up over Harpymon. In the mist of water, Harpymon vanished.  
  
"No!"  
  
The next thing I remember is Harpymon appearing above me. Her wings were spread, and she was ready to attack.  
  
"Say goodnight, Hunter."  
  
Another voice cut in.  
  
"Good night."  
  
There was a blast from a gun directly to Harpymon's head. The data scattered in all directions. Battalimon was right the cloud.  
  
"Take her data. You need it the most."  
  
I absorbed what still remained.  
  
"Battalimon, where's the D-Cell?"  
  
He held out his middle finger, revealing the pink D-Cell hanging precariously from it. He tossed it to me.  
  
"Take it. I need both hands for this job! Get it to Jeanine…or Billie…or whoever she is!"  
  
I nodded in response and dove towards the woman on the coast.  
  
"Jeanine! Get ready!"  
  
Before I could get the D-Cell to her, Pleciomon's thick head got between us. He opened his mouth wide, nearly catching me in his teeth.  
  
"C'mon little Digimon! I'm in need of a little snack!"  
  
It took quite a bit of effort to stop myself, and I nearly fell into his gaping maw. I pulled back my empty hand.  
  
"Open wide, pal! Darkness Claw!"  
  
It would make sense that a blast to the inside of his mouth would do some damage, but no such luck. Like everything else we'd thrown at him, it bounced off harmlessly. Yasyamon and Battalimon went after the head again, drawing its attention away from me.  
  
"Get to Jeanine!"  
  
I dove for the coast again. This time nothing was going to get in my way. Or so I thought. It was a mistake, turning my back on Pleciomon. I heard him yell out his attack, saw the look on Jeanine's face, and even felt the wave approaching. But I couldn't react in time.  
  
"Devimon!"  
  
It hit me square in the back. My body went limp, and I felt the pink D-Cell slip from my grasp. In the next instant I was in the jaws of the mega. To my horror, the D-Cell fell uninterrupted towards the water's surface.  
  
"Get the D-Cell! Forget about me!"  
  
Plecimon flung me into the air, directly into the path of the rocketing Battalimon. The two of us stopped in midair, and began to plummet towards the water. Yasyamon made a move for it as well, but was similarly hit off course. I watched in horror as the D-Cell fell into the mega's waiting clutches. 


	10. Jeanine Ross

Chapter 10:---------------------------------------------------------- Jeanine Ross  
  
We have to do something!  
  
Billie's voice echoed in my head. Without thinking, I ran towards the water. I had to get that D-Cell from Pleciomon. I had to!  
  
Don't worry, Billie! I'm with you on this one!  
  
I could feel our spirits joining inside my body. For the first time, we had a common purpose. I reached out for the D-Cell despite the fact I was nowhere near it. I could hear Devimon yelling for me.  
  
"Jeanine! Grab it!"  
  
"Jeanine, you have to get to it first!"  
  
"Do something, Jeanine!"  
  
They were counting on me: they were counting on us. With an exasperated cry, I fell into the water. The waves continued to push me back towards the coast, and Pleciomon was still moving at me. He had the D- Cell, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't be able to stop me: stop us.  
  
Jeanine, wait!  
  
I stopped fighting the current. Pleciomon continued his approach. Something was weighting my wrist down. I looked down and caught the pink glare off my hand.  
  
"It can't be!"  
  
Pleciomon opened his flipper, revealing nothing.  
  
"How could you?"  
  
We did it Jeanine.  
  
"We did."  
  
In my hand was the D-Cell. It had come to me. But now what? I wasn't a Digithrope. There was no way I could Bioform.  
  
Trust me, Jeanine. We're together on this one.  
  
"I don't know how you got in my head Billie, but I'm glad we're on the same page. Ready?"  
  
You bet.  
  
I lifted the D-Cell out of my hand, it snapped on my wrist automatically. It lit up immediately, producing a small pink orb. I could see a figure standing inside it.  
  
"This look familiar?"  
  
That's not Fairymon…or Angelimon. But I do know that if you're going to do this, you have to take the sphere.  
  
I reached out for the orb. It shocked me at first, but as I wrapped my hand around it, a new life began to flow into me. The merge between Billie and I was complete.  
  
Thank you, Jeanine. Your time has come.  
  
"Bio-Warp Digivolution."  
  
As I spoke out, our voices melded together. For each word I spoke, Billie's echoed behind me.  
  
"Jeanine…Billie, Bio-Warp to…"  
  
The sensation was amazing. I could feel the wings spread from my back, six if I was not mistaken. Gloves slipped over my hands, and a small mask covered my face. Although I couldn't see it directly, the light from my halo washed over me. I looked down to see a cloak had draped around me. My hand had produced a small staff as well. As I looked out to see Pleciomon, my name came to me.  
  
"Cherubimon!"  
  
The three champions had frozen dead while Pleciomon seemed shocked as well.  
  
We've done it, Jeanine. We are mega!  
  
The power was amazing. I could feel the life force of the Digimon flowing through me. But there was no more time for celebration; I had a job to do.  
  
"Do you think a little digivolution will scare me? Hah! Ebon Flow!"  
  
The Digimon summoned up a colossal wave and sent it toward me. Instinctively, I lifted my staff. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, my energy ripped the attack in half. The two masses dropped harmlessly back into the ocean.  
  
"It's time you saw true power. You shouldn't have messed with a Hunter, Pleciomon!"  
  
I spread my wings wide, taking in air for a single charge. I could do this; I knew it. My staff's light grew brighter and brighter as I approached the enemy. One blow would be all I needed.  
  
"Ebon Flow! You won't beat me that easily!"  
  
The wave spread out even higher this time around. I couldn't fear it. Fear was weakness. Weakness wouldn't win this fight.  
  
"I will defeat you! We will defeat you!"  
  
Jeanine. You're ready to go. You know what the attack is; now use it!  
  
I summoned up my power into the staff. As the attack reached full charge, the name crossed my lips.  
  
"Ascended Halo!"  
  
The staff lifted the halo from around my hand and channeled its power through it. The halo began to enlarge, gathering momentum for a spin. With a push of the staff the halo was launched forward. The waters divided as it approached Pleciomon. As the light enveloped him, he screamed out his dying words.  
  
"My life for the Master; my death for the Master!"  
  
In the next instant, all that remained of the great mega was scattered bits of data. I motioned for the others to gather what they could from the remaining clusters, they needed it much more than me. 


	11. Katia Romanov

Chapter 11:------------------------------------------------------Katia Romanov  
  
The cell was dark and cold. The Brutamon guard had dropped off a small pan of food, which I neither wanted nor needed. The kill from earlier this morning had more the fulfilled my appetite. Icarimon had ordered me chained down, which they had done rather quickly. I tired to fight back, but without an active D-Cell my powers were at the mercy of the moon.  
  
You've gotten yourself in deep, Katia. You shouldn't have let yourself give in to him. Now you probably will never get out of here, alive anyway.  
  
I feared my role in Icarimon's plan. Whatever it was, I knew it would put me against the other Hunters. There was a small grinding as the door slid open. Icarimon entered, smiling as usual. By his side were two Brutamon. They stopped at the entrance and bowed. One lifted his head and spoke to me.  
  
"Bow before your master, human!"  
  
I remained standing. This was no master of mine; I didn't care about him. Icarimon's smile remained.  
  
"You should listen to them. They know what disobedience brings."  
  
He snapped his fingers. Instantly the chain retracted, pulling me to the ground. My hands hit the floor hard, nearly causing my arms to collapse. Within seconds I was down on my knees bowing. There had been a chain around my neck, which after pulling me down took my breath away. While I couldn't hide the gasping, I wouldn't give Icarimon the pleasure of seeing me hurt.  
  
"You're a tough one, Katia. That is okay, though. I have ways of making you learn."  
  
The pain was almost unbearable. I gritted my teeth as the chain pulled down harder. Icarimon continued laughing.  
  
"Had enough, Katia?"  
  
"What do you want? You stand there grinning like an idiot, but you don't say anything about why you need me! What is it, huh?"  
  
Icarimon's smile faded. With another snap the pain ended. He approached me slowly, his arm extended.  
  
"Do you remember a Digimon by the name of Demon?"  
  
He hunched down to look me in the eye. Looking deep into them I could see the real him. The evil I sensed in him was more than anything before. I had to keep my cool.  
  
"Yeah I remember him. Easiest kill ever. Didn't take much to beat him."  
  
A vein pulsed on his forehead. His eyes narrowed at me. The evil was almost tangible.  
  
"That 'weakling' was my son!"  
  
Before I knew what happened, a swift hand ran across my face. I spit onto the ground, and Icarimon turned my head to face him.  
  
"Look me in the eye when I talk to you!"  
  
His pleasant exterior was slowly pulling away, showing the real being within. That feeling that had made me uneasy about him before rose again. He continued.  
  
"I have spent eons trapped in this boring Digi-World. I wanted to break through, but those damn sovereigns stole my power from me. They left me stuck here, unable to cross into your realm. They forgot my son though. His powers grew stronger in my absence. After a time he was able to cross over…but you stopped him."  
  
"The Digimon were attacking my world! What did you expect me to do?"  
  
"We were a conquering family, a mighty force in the Digital World. Nobody could stop us. It took an act of the gods to finally stop us. You see, I'm still too weak to cross through. On my own that is."  
  
He grabbed my head in both his hands. He seemed to be looking me over. With a quick motion he grabbed my wrist, holding the D-Cell in his hand.  
  
"You see. I need a way out of here. And this is just the thing to do it. You see, I alone cannot leave the Digi-World. But you can…"  
  
I pulled my arm away, spitting in Icarimon's face. He wanted to make me into a puppet. Was he kidding? I was beginning to hate Icarimon with each passing moment. How dare he use me like that!  
  
"The only thing is, that blasted D-Cell is inactive. I need to find a way to reactivate it. And there is only one thing I can think of that would make a device like that work."  
  
He moved to stand beside me. Just as quickly as he had hit me before, he landed another blow to my stomach. I felt the air empty out of my body. I was on the ground gasping for air while Icarimon laughed over me.  
  
"You see. If the Hunter is in danger, the D-Cell will release a high amount of power. All I need for you to do is give in."  
  
Between gasps I responded.  
  
"Never. I won't help you."  
  
"You should make it easier than this, Katia. I really don't want to hurt you. But if you leave me no choice…"  
  
He kicked again, this time into my back. The pain shot through my body, causing red flashes to obscure my vision.  
  
"Will you help me, Katia?"  
  
"Never."  
  
"Wrong answer."  
  
Another shot to stomach. Tears rolled down my eyes. The pain was tremendous…I could feel myself loosing control. I hated Icarimon for doing this, but I hated myself more for letting me get to me.  
  
"I swear, Icarimon…I will kill you myself."  
  
My anger was growing to fast. I couldn't stop myself. Emotions are powerful weapons. Rage fed the D-Cell more than anything, and that was exactly what I was giving it. What I heard next was no surprise.  
  
"Bioform Digivolution."  
  
Cries of pain shifted into howls of anger. Lupumon had returned. Icarimon seemed pleased by this development. However, I didn't stop there. D-Cell still charging, I continued the transformation.  
  
"Bio-Upgrade Digivolution."  
  
As the second and third dog heads began to form, I felt the anger hit its peak. This new power was unbelievable. I hadn't been Cereberumon in what seemed like ages. My captor had been prepared for this, as the chains continued to hold me down.  
  
"So this is what an ultimate level Digithrope looks like. Rather ugly beast if I do say so. Oh well, it will have to do."  
  
My brain had given way to animal instinct. Never had I been this angry before, and it showed. Cerberumon was like an outside force, a being that I was merely watching. The scary thing was, I enjoyed it. Icarimon ignored my gnashing teeth and firmly held my head straight. Once again he glared deep into my eyes.  
  
"I want in, Katia. And sooner or later, you're going to let me."  
  
Logic said to resist, every ounce of my consciousness wanted to fight him off. But I couldn't. Cerberumon was in control. It was like the mind of the Digimon was all that existed. The Digimon's instincts didn't care about good or evil, it just wanted to survive.  
  
Don't do it, Cerberumon. Fight it off. Do it for me, do it for anyone but Icarimon. I beg you. Let me in control!  
  
It was useless. The mind of the Digimon was all that was Icarimon needed. He had won over the part of me that was most important to him. I could only sit in the back of my mind and watch helplessly as I was infected by his spirit.  
  
Will you obey me now, Katia?  
  
"Yes, Master. My life for you." 


	12. Jack Beckett

Chapter 12:----------------------------------------------------------Jack Beckett  
  
It had been a long time since I had loaded the data of a mega level Digimon. It was an amazing power, similar to a painkiller. Nothing made one feel better than to load the data of a foe. I took my share and joined Cherubimon at the coastline. Yasyamon followed shortly thereafter. Devimon remained in the cloud, absorbing whatever data he could detect. It frightened me seeing this for I had never trusted Damien. He had helped us once, but would he do it again if granted the power? I began to go at him, but Yasyamon stopped me.  
  
"Don't bother, Battalimon. We have to trust him, Billie did."  
  
"Why are you all of a sudden trusting him? What changed your mind?"  
  
"Look at what's standing in front of you, boy! You and I both heard Billie's voice. We can't deny the fact that Cherubimon is before us."  
  
I locked eyes with the new mega. It was Billie in there, Jeanine and Billie somehow had become one.  
  
"Okay, Cherubimon. You have some explaining to do. How did Billie come back, and why is she in Jeanine?"  
  
The Digimon appeared to be amused with the question. Who was I talking to?  
  
"I can't quite say I understand what happened either. Although, I can tell you what happened to me."  
  
Cherubimon moved to the coast and took a seat. Yasyamon and I joined her. Having finished absorbing data, Devimon landed nearby. With a look to the sky, Cherubimon began her tale. At first it was difficult to adjust to hearing both Jeanine's and Billie's voice, but the blend was harmonious and soon became natural.  
  
"Shortly after Beelzemon hit me with the Double Impact, Angelimon died. It was weird though. I had died as a Digimon, and part of me left with her. I witnessed everything though…Warmonger, you and Damien both passing out…it was like I was still there, but I couldn't will myself to do anything. The whole time, voices were speaking to me. They wanted me to come to them, they had something they had to tell me."  
  
"You we're in a coma for a while. You're body wouldn't die, but you had no brain activity…it was the most bizarre thing ever."  
  
"Try being inside that body. I was scared…and finally I gave in to the voices. They allowed me to call out to one person: Damien."  
  
She looked at Devimon with a gentle look.  
  
"I forgave you. I had to. What you did wasn't your fault; part of me knew that. I also knew that without help, my friends wouldn't stand a chance against. The voices were telling me of something called Demon, and that when the time came…Katia, Schneider, and Beckett would all die. I couldn't let it happen, so I gave my last energy to Damien. I knew he would help, I could see it in his eyes, the way he spoke to me. It was that power that allowed to become Beelzemon once again, and Blast Mode when the time came.  
  
However, by giving you the last of that power I detached my soul from my body. I finally was lifted up to the voices. They called themselves the sovereigns, Gods of the Digital World. The one who spoke to me was Azulongmon. He told me that my death fulfilled the first half of the prophecy. Something else was also revealed: If you defeated Demon, something much worse would be let loose on the two worlds."  
  
"Is that what this is? This new horde that's been attacking?"  
  
"Yes, Damien. They didn't know what it was that was coming, but they knew it would be much worse than Demon ever could have been. Azulongmon told me one other thing, which was that all five of us would have to work together to beat him, and if we weren't united against this force we would lose. Time passes differently in their realm, and before long they said it was time. With a sudden jolt I was thrown from their world and into a new body. Jeanine's. That's what gave us the power to become Cherubimon. I don't know what's coming next though."  
  
"The sovereigns didn't warn you?"  
  
"No. All they said was that I would know when the time was right."  
  
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could Billie's death have been destiny? Why couldn't she have been allowed to live and fight with us now? I trusted Billie, but I questioned the words Azulongmon.  
  
"So Cherubimon, were you told where Katia was?"  
  
"No. Nor do I know why the D-Cells aren't detecting each other."  
  
Yasyamon had begun pacing back and forth, deep in thought. He was muttering to himself.  
  
"Hey, Yasyamon! What is it?"  
  
He stopped and looked out towards the cities.  
  
"Before you arrived, Jeanine and I detected an enormous outpouring of energy coming from a rift. We couldn't center on a location, but it was on the west coast somewhere. That energy could be spreading and forming smaller rifts, which explains the Digimon at the university and here."  
  
Suddenly, Devimon jolted around and looked out towards the city as well.  
  
"Anybody else feel that?"  
  
The feeling struck me too. It was a familiar feeling; the feeling of a D-Cell when it was expelling massive amounts of energy. And it wasn't one of ours. 


	13. Dr. Schneider

Chapter 13:--------------------------------------------------------Dr. Schneider  
  
"Yasyamon, what do you think?" The signal felt surprisingly new to me. Generally a D-Cell's signature was unique for each DigiThrope that had one. Right now I could sense the three with me. Strangely enough, I was receiving two waves from Cherubimon. One I knew as Billie's, leaving the second to be Jeanine's. With this new feeling I had just picked up.it was Katia's, but something was very wrong with it. "I don't like it, Battalimon. It's Katia alright, but something's different." Devimon had spread his wings and taken to the air again. "Well if her D-Cell's activated, that means she's in trouble. And I for one ain't going to wait around." Before any of us could object, he was off. Cherubimon and Battalimon lifted off the ground, I joined them and the three of us followed Devimon toward the cities. It was strange, having Jeanine fighting along side us, even though it was Billie in control.kind of. Every time the Digimon spoke I heard both voices, and it kept me thinking about what part my assistant would have in this. Devimon stopped suddenly, we all pulled up beside him. "Look at that. Something's going on over there." The four of us looked out over the cityscape. Tremendous flashes of light lit up the sky. Shortly after the light would be the faint sound of explosions. There was a fight going on. And our help was more than likely needed. "Katia's signal is coming from right inside the middle of that." Without a thought, we were on our way. Upon arriving in the city, we were shocked at what we saw. What had to be 20 of the centaur Digimon were attacking, and nothing was fighting against them. The area of the city was ruined, and people were fleeing in terror. The Digimon had to be stopped, and we were the only ones that could do it. "I don't see any of Katia's forms down there. Are you sure that was her?" "It had to be, who else would have a D-Cell?" Devimon looked primed and ready to fight. It was three champs and a mega against an army of Ultimates. It would be an interesting fight. "What are you worried about, Yasyamon? We can handle this." The Digimon finally noticed us, there was no turning back. Devimon was the first to charge in to the fight. "Devimon, wait!" I followed after him, but I wasn't fast enough to catch him. "You haven't been paying attention, Yasyamon. I hardly expended any energy in that fight against Pleciomon, yet loaded nearly double the data either you or Battalimon did. And if I'm right, we should be finding out my next form shortly. Right, D-Cell?" "Bio-Upgrade Digivolution." The black D-Cell lit up again, and Devimon's body became enveloped in a dark orb. I could hear his body shifting.his wings expanded in size. While he yelled out during the first transformation, this time there was only a screeching. "Devimon, Upgrade to." The orb broke open, leaving an oversized black dragon hovering over the centaurs. It was like a Devidramon, only slightly larger. His neck was longer than normal, and his muzzle came to a sharper point than the champion level. The Digimon waved its tail and called out once more. "NeoDevidramon!" It was unbelievable. Devimon had absorbed enough energy to recharge his D-Cell. Now at the ultimate level, who knew what he was capable of. Feeling a rejuvenated will to fight, I entered the battle. Both Cherubimon and Battalimon were right behind me. "Whatever you are, we've taken you out before. Prepare to be defeated!" I unsheathed my dual blades, and with a quick attack managed to drop one of the foes. There was a brief moment that allowed me to load data, but it was cut off when a pair of centaurs attacked me together. I hit the ground hard, but still willing to fight back. I didn't need to worry though. "Hellfire!" The two Digimon were sent sprawling, leaving a data cloud in their tracks. NeoDevidramon stood over me. "Take the data." He covered while I loaded it, I could feel my strength returning. "Heads up you two!" NeoDevidramon took a hit in the side from a dual attack. He rolled along the ground, recovered, and lifted off. I followed the trail back to the two Digimon that had attacked. They weren't centaurs, but I recognized them instantly. The first was SkullSatamon, a mean ultimate with incredible force. We had beat one that had worked for Demon, but it took the power of all of us at ultimate to do it. The second was what scared me. The goat head and the puffy legs his a much more sinister Digimon. It was Mephismon, an ultimate level demon. A Digimon that had also worked for Demon, but I had no clue there had been more. "Never send a Brutamon to do a General's job. SkullSatamon, take the lizard. The robot is mine!" SkullSatamon moved at lightning speeds, barely giving me time to dodge the attack I knew was coming. It hit the ground behind me, and I was launched into the air. Within seconds I was sent sprawling into a crowd of Brutamon. Next to me was Battalimon, equally damaged from an attack by Mephismon. "Yasyamon, can you move?" "Nope. How about you?" "Nah." The Brutamon gathered around us ready to strike. Thank god Cherubimon was there. "Ascended Halo!" The attack washed over the small gathering of ultimates. Within seconds they had been reduced to piles of data. Battalimon and I gathered up the data like starving animals. A newfound energy swept over us. "Hey, Battalimon. I think we've got it now." "Yep. It's about time." Our D-Cells spoke up for the second time. It was music to my ears. "Bio-Upgrade Digivolution." The D-Cell's energy flowed within me. The Bio-Upgrade was the strangest evolution of them all, as the D-Cell was part of you during the process. "Yasyamon, Upgrade to." I felt the feathers sprout from my skin while two wings opened from my back. My tail shrank away and split into five large feathers. My claws became hands, and my armor vanished. The only remaining piece was the helmet, which melded into my head to form a sharp beak. As the evolution completed, my two swords grew in size. Their edges sharpened as they grew. I had done it. I was. "Karatenmon!" Battalimon was beside me, evolving as well. "Battalimon, Upgrade to." His line of Digivolution was one of the most impressive of the five Hunters. While Battalimon was a human sized cyborg, his ultimate form was twice as big. The BioForm's guns were pushed together, producing an oversized bazooka. The gun moved to the Digimon's back, where it fitted in snuggly between the enlarging jetpack. On his arms, a set of blasters rose from inside the armor. Battalimon continued growing, his armor thickening and becoming squarer. When it was done, it looked slightly like the previous form. Only this time it was far more dangerous. "Balistamon!" The remaining Brutamon knew there would be trouble. In an attempt to retreat, one was knocked over. I was on it immediately. "Try this on!" With two quick swings, the ultimate was reduced to a pile of data. I absorbed what I could and took off after the others. "Not so fast, Hunter!" I was caught off guard with an attack from my left. As I skidded along the ground, SkullSatamon came up from behind and hit me across the back. "Ahh!" The pain was intense. From previous experience, I knew that SkullSatamon could hit hard. The little reminder hurt like heck! "You're going to regret that!" I pushed the handles of my swords together. With a quick motion, they were sent spinning at the devil. "Helio Slash!" SkullSatamon raised his staff in time to block the attack, but he didn't see Balistamon at his side. 


	14. Jack Beckett

Chapter 14:----------------------------------------------------------Jack Beckett  
  
"Nitro Cannon!" Holding my bazooka with both hands, Ifired. The blow tossed SkullSatamon like a rag doll. He collided with the herding Brutamon, deleting a few of them. "You caught me off guard. No big deal.I can handle that. Mephismon!" There was an explosion above. NeoDevidramon hit the ground first, follwed by a laughing Mephismon. "What is it, SkullSatamon? Can't you see I'm busy?" The two demons began to argue back and forth. Cherubimon ceased the opportunity to get NeoDevidramon away from them. He rose to his feet slowly, but it appeared overall he was okay. "Balistamon, we have to be careful. These two are stronger than the last one's we fought." "I've noticed. Any plans?" Apparently having ended their conversation, the two ultimates turned to address their minions. "Brutamon, you have all fought well this day. But you're mission has changed, as has your purpose." The Brutamon looked confused. One approached his leader. "But sir, what would possibly deviate from the Master's plan?" Without a word, Mephismon and SkullSatamon opened fire on the Brutamon. Before they had a chance to scream, the centaurs' data dispersed. "No way!" "How could they do that?" We were all in shock. What could their plan possibly be to warrant that? I could see they wanted the data, but why? "C'mon! We have to stop them from loading the data!" My jetpacks ignited at full power, sending me headlong into SkullSatamon. I collided in seconds, sending us both tumbling onto the ground. NeoDevidramon and Karatenmon circled around Mephismon. "On three. One.two.go!" Karatenmon released his Helio Blade, while NeoDevidramon launched his fire attack. Mephismon raised his hand, stopping both attacks in mid air. "He's already loaded to much! You two get back!" Cherubimon pushed the airborn Digimon away and readied to fire. "Try this on for size! Ascended Halo!" The attack fired at full power. With a near-deafening eruption, the attack made contact with the Digimon on the ground. In the following silence, not a single one of us dared to breathe. Very slowly, SkullSatamon's cackle rose over the scene. "He's done with the data. And you're going to get a kick out of what's next!" As the smoke cleared, the four of us looked down on a massive crater. At the bottom, though, was Mephismon. He grinned evilly, a black glow coming from his body. "That felt great. I wish I could have saved you some SkullSatamon, but you know how things work." The red devil pushed me aside and flew down to his partner. Mephismon had grown slightly in size. Having all that new data must have really beefed him up. Without thinking, I readied my bazooka. This guy wasn't going to get away on me. The two demons began to slowly walk toward us. Mehpismon cracked his knuckles with delight. "Can we take them, Balistamon?" I wasn't sure. Who knows how much data Mephismon had gathered from his underlings. If Yasyamon and I had been able to reach ultimate from it, Mephismon could have been put on the verge of mega. Karatenmon lifted up his swords, while NeoDevidramon and Cherubimon floated above. Weapons ready, we waited. "This will be most fun. I think I'll start with your leader. What do you say, Balistamon?" I tightened my grip on the trigger. If I got in a clean shot, it could take him out. Mephismon spread his wings and rocketed forward. "Darkness Sphere!" With his added momentum, Mephismon's attack moved faster than I could tell. I had no choice but to fire. "Nitro Cannon!" There was no time to aim. A rapid volley of rockets whistled toward Mephismon. It managed to break up his shot, but the powered up Digimon blocked them like they were nothing. Luckily there was enough time for me to feel the blow to the stomach from Mephismon's fist. I had been right, he had to have been near mega to hit like that. I was lifted off my feet and sent into the wall of a nearby building. "Balistamon! We're coming!" NeoDevidramon and Karatenmon rushed at Mephismon from opposite sides. The crow Digimon's swords were glowing with power, while the dragon appeared to have a large ball of fire building up in his mouth. Without a single noticeable sign, they attacked in unison. "Hellfire!"  
  
"Helio Slash!" Both attacks were blocked with shots from Mephismon. He was unable to totally deflect them. Their combined powers were enough to force him to divide his efforts. "Cherubimon! Finish SkullSatamon! I've gotta help the others!" She nodded and flew towards the flying devil. I refocused my efforts on Mephismon. He could block my attacks on their own, but if they were combined. "Nitro Cannon!" Immediately after firing, it was obvious that the attack would hit. The combined power of the three ultimates blasted Mephismon back into the crater. He lifted himself up and stood there. "How could it be? I'm filled with data, but I can't digivolve!" Karatenmon, NeoDevidramon, and I moved to the edge of the hole. We looked down on him, ready to attack. From above I heard Cherubimon attacking SkullSatamon. "Ascended Halo!" There was a flash, and SkullSatamon crashed to the ground next to Mephismon. The demon tried to spread his wings, but they must have been broken in the fall. His cohort looked down on him with disgust. "You call yourself a Digimon? The Master would be ashamed." "But.but.I'm just as strong as you! Let me show you!" SkullSatamon climbed to his feet and began to run up the side of the crater. Quickly grabbing his tail, Mephismon pulled him back down. "I've had it with you! You're the one holding me back! No more! Darkness Sphere!" The four of us watched in horror as Mephismon destroyed SkullSatamon and absorbed his data. The Digimon didn't wait for his partner to completely break up before loading, and the screaming voice was slowly sucked into Mephismon's body. "I don't like this at all! Balistamon, I'm tired of standing here! We have to do something!" NeoDevidramon flexed himself out and took off in Mephismon's direction. "I can't wait either, Balistamon. He's getting way too strong for all of us!"  
  
This was bad. We couldn't just rush headlong into this. My eyes moved to Mephismon again. He was smiling at something.but what? I followed his gaze to look behind me. All I caught was a black flash of something moving. "It's a set-up! Karatenmon, NeoDevidramon! Get down!" Another voice roared out above mine. "Black Death!" I hit the ground just as whatever it was passed above me. I heard yells and saw my two fellow ultimates get thrown down hard. They were hurt, bad. Rising quickly I tried to get to them, but the figure got between us. It was then that I recognized it. "Hello, Beckett." Standing before me was a much larger form of Cerberumon. The three heads were each on their own neck. The muzzles were much sharper, and longer. Three spindly tails flipped around from its rear. The Digimon looked unhealthy, as bones were visible on all sides. "You're speechless. Don't you recognize me anymore?" "Katia? What happened to you?" "I'm much stronger now. This is my new mega form. What do you say? I'm thinking of calling it SkullCereberumon." I lowered my bazooka into her face. We had made an agreement after fighting Beelzemon. If anyone of us ever switched sides again, we would kill them. "You can't do it, Beckett. I know you." The cannon was loaded. All it took was one command. Before I could fire, Katia swung with her front paw, cutting me across the chest plate. She turned and swaggered towards Mephismon. As she passed Karatenmon and NeoDevidramon, she flung them away. The two landed next to me, their Bio- Forms shattering to pieces. "You monster! How could you betray your allies like that?" Cherubimon stood next to me. She stared in horror at her fallen comrades. SkullCerberumon only laughed, towering over her prey. 


	15. Damien Fox

Chapter 15:---------------------------------------------------------- Damien Fox  
  
The attack had come from out of nowhere. I had heard Balistamon try to warn me, but before I could respond..WHAM! "It's just been one of those days, Doc." I tried to make light of the situation. "Every time we do this I gain a little more respect for what you guys did before I joined up." Schneider didn't respond. He had landed facing away from me, and I assumed he was unconscious. Although becoming an ultimate brought more power, getting knocked out of the Bio-Form took a lot more out of you. "What's the matter, Damien? Can't fight without the Slayer?" I looked SkullCerberumon square in the eye, managing to pull myself to my feet in the process. "I don't need the Slayer to take you on. Double Impact was more than enough.or have you forgotten that after five years?" The mega Digimon snarled, bearing her fangs. Mephismon stood behind his leader, not sure whether to back off or attack. Keeping an eye on the new arrival, I made my way to the doc. "You okay? Say something." Slowly, he rolled over onto his back. With a cough, he looked up at me. "I take it this isn't good." Trying not to laugh, I helped him to stand up. Balistamon and Cherubimon moved closer to us. They had to be ready; while Katia wouldn't have attacked us.whatever she had become had an entirely unpredictable agenda. "You honestly think I would want to destroy you so soon? My style is to play with my kill. Come Mephismon." SkullCerberumon circled our group once, and then quickly ran off toward the east. Although it was obvious he objected, Mephismon followed. "Master! Shouldn't we finish them while they are weakened?" As she vanished into the horizon, I heard her speak to him. "Where would the fun be in that?"  
  
Balistamon stood guard over the area. Cherubimon had begun to heal the doc and I. It had only been ten minutes or so since SkullCerberumon had left us alone, but already we could hear the authorities approaching. "I don't know if you've got something planned, Beckett.but if we don't get moving there's going to be a lot of explaining to do." Both he and Cherubimon looked at me uneasily. "What?" She finished healing me and rose to her feet. Slowly, she made her way to Balistamon's side. Without looking back at Schneider or I, she began to speak. "This was an unforeseen development. We were not prepared for one of your own to be taken. Without Katia, we won't stand a chance." I only heard Billie this time. She was deeply concerned. Apparently she hadn't told us everything that Azulongmon had shared with her. It looked like she was ready to say more, but the approaching sirens were getting too loud. Balistamon cut her off. "Damien is right. We have to get out of here. Cherubimon take Dr. Schneider." Cherubimon nodded and picked up the doc. I climbed up and strolled up to Balistamon. "We're flying buddies eh?" Reluctantly I let him pick me up. "Try to keep turbulence to a minimum okay." The timing couldn't have been more perfect. As Cherubimon and Balistamon took to the air, the cops.the military.everything showed up. A few choppers had come in as well, and as expected they immediately began to trail us. "Ideas, anyone?" Schneider was thinking something over. You could have almost seen the light bulb go off. "It's starting to make sense. The rift that I had been tracking but couldn't locate. Think..think.where could somebody hide a rift that big?" "In a place where a massive opening wouldn't be noticed." Jeanine spoke out from within Cherubimon again. Billie still echoed in her voice. "That's it! Think.the further out we got the lesser the opponents got. When were our enemies at their strongest? Right here in California!" The gears were turning; I just wished that I could keep up. Balistamon appeared just as confused. "The San-Andreas Fault! It's perfect. A massive opening in the earth's surface.That's why I couldn't pinpoint the rift's location on the surface. Because it wasn't at ground level!" Jeanine let out a curious "hmm" through Cherubimon. "It's a long shot, Doctor. Well, Balistamon?" He nodded and then looked to me. I shrugged my shoulders. "I was never the brains of this outfit. If the Doc thinks it's a good idea, I say go with it!" That was it. Without another word, both Cherubimon and Balistamon accelerated toward our desintation. I only hoped that we could lose the helicopters behind us. 


End file.
